Billboard construction



June 3, 1952 P. L. MICHAEL ET AL BILLBOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed May 12, 1947 6T M fa 016M ATTORNEYS Patented June 3, 1952 BILLBOARD- CONSTRUCTION Pierre L. Michael and Kenneth L. ltobison.

. Houston, Tex.

The invention relates to bill board'construction such as thoseusedfor advertising purposes and the like.

In the building of present day bill board con: struction, it has beenthe practice to put upa frame and inclined bracing with the ends and back usually embodying creosoted poles and various interconnecting wooden structures.

Such a construction is expensive andit-isnec: essary that holes be drilled in the grounder the location of the signboard to receive the frame of the structure. This procedure is time consuming and the operation expensive.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a signboard construction which is simple in design, sturdy in construc-- tion, and which can be built with a minimum of cost and time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signboard construction which can be built on the desired location without drilling holes in the ground to receive various parts of the structure. Still another object of the invention is to provide a signboard construction which covers a minimum amount of a plot of ground. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide in a bill board construction, a pair of vertically positioned beams extending upwardly from the ground, one of which is arranged to support a display panel thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a bill board construction, a pair of vertically positioned beams extending upwardly from the ground, one of which is arranged to support a display panel thereon, said support means being of a construction that permits ready removal of the panel from the beam.

The subject matter of this applicaiton relates in part to display panel construction as disclosed and claimed in our issued Patent No. 2,557,387 issued June 19, 1950 and to Clamp for Sectional Signs as disclosed and claimed in our issued Patent No, 2,570,365 issued October 9, 1951.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the signboard construction showing the preferred general arrangement thereof;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the bill board construction showing the panel support upright and vertical brace beam connected together with the preferred means of laterally supporting the two in the ground;

Application May 12, 1947, Serial No. 747,558

' aolaiia (01.40-)

Fig. 3 is a partialsection. on the'line 3-3 of. Fig. 1 illustrating the preferred means of supporting the display panel on the bill board construction. 1 r

The construction. of the bill board 2 is best represented in Fig. 1, and while the billboard may be of any desired configuration, or of any suitable height and length, the construction shown herein is exemplary ofthe average-size signboard used for advertising purposes along thoroughfares such as highways and railroads.

The bill board 2 is shown in Fig. 1 as being.positioned on a plot of ground 3. A pluralityyot spaced vertically arranged panel supports 4 extend downwardly into the ground ,at 6 and upwardly at 1 back of the panel 8.

Paired with the panel supports 4 and rearwardly thereof are a plurality of uprights or vertically arranged bracing beams 9 extending into the ground at [0 and upwardly to the point ll about midway of-the panel 8. These beams are shown connected to the panel supports 4 by suitable means such as the connectingbeams l2 which are shown connected to the panel supports 4 and brace beams 9 by suitable means such as welds l3 and bolts [4 respectively.

The panel 8 may be of any suitable material such as sheet metal or the like, and is shown in Fig. 1 as being composed ofplanking l5 suitably connected together and trimmed with the moulding 16.

The back of the panel 8 is provided with suitable means such as the formed holder I! which is provided with a flange I8 for connection to the back of the panel 8. Extending rearwardly thereof is a portion l9 which is bent downwardly at 20 forwardlyat 2| and upwardly at 22. Any suitable number of such holders may be provided on.

the back of the panel 8 for engagement with suitable cofitting means such as shaped bolts 23 connected through the panel support at 24. The bolt 23, extending forwardly at 25, is bent upwardly at 26 in the vertical plane of the bolt 23 and is inclined rearwardly at 28 and bent parallel and rearwardly at 30 and in the same plane as the portion 3|.

A nut 33 is provided to engage the threads 34 on the bolt 23 so as to position the panel 8 firmly against the panel support 4. Additional means such as the bolt 40 secured through the moulding l6 and panel support 4 serve to give additional rigidity to the structure.

Such a construction permits ready positioning of the panel 8 upon the supports 4 by simply matching the formed holder I! on the panel and the shaped bolts 23, and then securing the panel 'purpossandl the' like.

,ri h'ldingtliein tagetner; a pair tr ers-esteem in position by tightening up on the nut 33 and 4 by suitable means such as bolts 5 I.

Any suitable mechanism sucfias a hydraulic ram, or steam hammer, may be used to drivethe vertical uprights into the groundon the desired location.

A signboard in accordance with the present in vention has been found d'uite saitsfactory in use;

and; has .beehidund taobyiate. allaforementioned dimcnltiessencmmtered in; resent v flay; billboard construction;

Broadly the invention contemplates a bill board constiziidtidnrsuclij as :those: used; 'for' advertising .Theinventio'nclaimed is: V 1 .1'. nutdoorfbill board brace and support' con structionefor "displaying a panel comprising, pluralityl otspacedyertically arranged paner'sup jextending upwardly zfromihei ground, a

verticalbracing beam aligned with and positioned rearwardlygof eah lor said panel supports-said bracing beams extending upwardly: toappreximatelymid'way or saidfpanel siipports; spaced; horizontally disposed '-cdnneeting "bearhs secured between said vertical supports and bracing be'ains ceri eeteq to said" panel sapports aiid'fs'aid bracing Beams, fine omnebraee'seams ore-"aid pair i i secured one side or said earner support 'aiio v'e.

grass level arid-secured tdsaid yerti er Bracing team; ae aeenrssaitemw the g rbuhdle'ylafid masher-trace ofsa'il pair beir'r'l seemed o others-ids of sa-ia' 'panei on; were "ground level and secured to said v ertiesiftraemg 'team 4 panel supports and vertical brace beams, a plurality of formed holders extending transversely of the display panel on the back thereof and a plurality of shaped bolts longitudinally spaced 5 along said panel support for engagement with said formed holders to position the panel on the supr rt V V s Tags pinipoard oonstruetioiiifior. nispiaying outddor advertising panels coiiipfisingfia" plurality l0 of spaced, vertically arranged panel supports extending upwardly from the ground; a plurality of uertically iiisposed bracing beams positioned rearwardlypf the display panel and in vertical "alignment andin close proximity to said panel 'siipflorts, horizontally disposed, spaced connectingbeams seemed-to said supports and said bracing bearns for securing said supports and bracin beams 'together, a pair of brace beams connected to said panel supports-"above ground level and 0 secure-(rtesam vefiicar braifig beairisadjaeem Below; the ground iever and 'eiitenaingmowm wardly thereinto to cross-brace an panelj supports and verse-arm 'be'aiiis, and co n-wing nieans onme she aiifl' ofl arieisrippdrafsaid a rearwarly fig engagernent tvitrra' 2 tem-reasons orre i he following re-ram gfftliis' te "UNITED STATES PATE 'rs Number Name pate REJ1688 I oeafes; s12

record tire- 

